How to use NO and NOT

What's the difference between no and not?

La palabra not se utiliza para expresar negación en una gran variedad de situaciones. Por ejemplo, se utiliza con los adjetivos y adverbios:

- “Are you hungry?”"Not really.”

- Not many of my friends use Skype.

Y con los verbos:

- You’re not my mother!

- Don’t (do not) go there! It's a dangerous place.

Acuérdate de utilizar not con el infinitivo y el gerundio:

- Remember not to go to bed too late. (Remember to don’t go to bed too late. X)

- He’s worried about not being able to find a job. (He’s worried about don’t find a job.X)

La palabra no se utiliza en dos situaciones:

1. Para respuestas negativas.

- Do you like this music?

- No, I don’t.

2. Antes de sustantivos, con el significado de not..any o ningún/ninguna.

- There’s no bread left.

- She had no reason to tell me.

- There are no oranges in the fridge. 

Un error común es decir no cuando se debería decir not.

- “How are you?” “No bad.”X –> Not bad.

- I play football, but no basketball. X –> I play football, but not basketball.

Aunque not aparece antes de un sustantivo (basketball) en este último ejemplo, significa I don’t play y no ningún/ninguna; por eso no utilizamos no en este contexto. 

- I play football, but I don’t play basketball. = I play football, but not basketball. 

Exercises. Fill in the blanks with no or not:

1. “How often do you go out?” “____ often.”

2. A good movie should make you think, ____ just entertain you.

3. I have plans on Saturday, but ____ on Sunday.

4. “Do you like heavy metal?”"____, ____ really.”

5. “What’s new?” “____ much.”

6. One of the great things about living in the city is ____ having to drive.

7. I have ____ idea why he did that.

8. That’s ____ necessarily true.

9. There’s ____ way I’m eating that!

Answers:

1. “How often do you go out?”"Not often.”

2. A good movie should make you think, not just entertain you.

3. I have plans on Saturday, but not on Sunday.

4. “Do you like heavy metal?”"No, not really.”

5. “What’s new?” “Not much.”

6. One of the great things about living in the city is not having to drive.

7. I have no idea why he did that.

8. That’s not necessarily true.

9. There’s no way I’m eating that!

By courtesy of Zac Tobias.